• Tobacco smoke has negative effects on nearly every organ of the body and reduces overall health.^[1]
• Tobacco smoke contains over 4,000 chemicals, including at least 50 that cause, initiate or promote cancer such as tar, ammonia, carbon monoxide, oxides of nitrogen and benzopyrene.^[2]
• In 2001, over 40 billion cigarettes (42,301 billion) were sold in Canada.^[3]
• Child labour is widespread in all major tobacco producing countries.^[4]
• Smoking in movies is thought to be the most powerful pro-tobacco influence on teens today, accounting for 52% of adolescents who start smoking, an effect even stronger than cigarette advertising.^[5]
• The prevalence of smoking in Canada is declining among youth.  In 2006, across the country, 15% of youth 15 – 19 years old reported that they were regular smokers.^[6]  This number is down from 18% from the same period one year before.^[7]
• In Ontario, youth are smoking even less.  Only 5.2% of students in grades 7 – 12 reported that they smoked daily in 2007.  This number is down from 22% in 1999.^[8]
• Breathing in second-hand smoke causes over 1,000 deaths in Canadian non-smokers from lung cancer and heart disease every year.^[9]
• A non-smoker in a smoky room is inhaling the same chemicals as a smoker.^[10]
• The earlier you start smoking, the higher your chances are of becoming addicted to nicotine and continuing to smoke as an adult.^[11]
• Most youth who smoke want to quit but few succeed.^[12] One study found that among youth who smoke, 77 percent have made one or more serious quit attempts in the last year but few of these are successful.^[13]
• If you are caught supplying or selling tobacco to youth you can be fined hundreds or even thousands of dollars for breaking the law.

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